What Preps are you doing this week? Part 6.

[Deeps]

Jenny, you can get storage boxes on wheels, lots of different sizes/shapes, just type "wheeled storage box" into your preferred search engine/online supplier, you might get something to fit your nooks and crannies.

[jennyjj01]

Jenny, you can get storage boxes on wheels, lots of different sizes/shapes, just type "wheeled storage box" into your preferred search engine/online supplier, you might get something to fit your nooks and crannies.

Thanks Deeps,
I've had a look on amazon etc and though there are all shapes of trolleys, I don't think that's going to work for this space ( maybe other places ). It's roughly 1400 deep x 900 wide by 900 high. Apart from the limited access hole about 300 wide by 600 high, the biggest issue is using the upper part of the space: As it is I shove my fruit boxes in empty, shuffle them into position then reach in and load them with cans, then in with the next box, manoeuvre it on top and load that up. By 4 boxes high, I can barely reach in to load that box so onto the next stack, giving me two stacks of 4 boxes and a big bunch of peripheral space. About 350mm above the boxes is barely usable. It has to be very much last in last out which doesn't lend itself to rotation.

I'm pretty much decided to abandon using it for tins and I'm going to make it a stash and forget space for bottled water, which I don't consider to expire. I'm going to try to beg a couple of those plastic water, honeycomb, bottle stacking trays that the supermarket uses with round bottomed 2L bottles. I expect they get re-used, but I can ask.

[Deeps]

Thanks Deeps,
I've had a look on amazon etc and though there are all shapes of trolleys, I don't think that's going to work for this space ( maybe other places ). It's roughly 1400 deep x 900 wide by 900 high. Apart from the limited access hole about 300 wide by 600 high, the biggest issue is using the upper part of the space: As it is I shove my fruit boxes in empty, shuffle them into position then reach in and load them with cans, then in with the next box, manoeuvre it on top and load that up. By 4 boxes high, I can barely reach in to load that box so onto the next stack, giving me two stacks of 4 boxes and a big bunch of peripheral space. About 350mm above the boxes is barely usable. It has to be very much last in last out which doesn't lend itself to rotation.

I'm pretty much decided to abandon using it for tins and I'm going to make it a stash and forget space for bottled water, which I don't consider to expire. I'm going to try to beg a couple of those plastic water, honeycomb, bottle stacking trays that the supermarket uses with round bottomed 2L bottles. I expect they get re-used, but I can ask.

You're right that water is pretty much good as long as you treat it right by being airtight and in a dark place. I think I've mentioned it on here before but I've drank bottled water that was about 4 years old before now. Good luck getting all your stash sorted. My missus isn't totally onboard but she did reorganise a load of stuff that is now in a spare room now I've lost my garage. She's getting there....

[Arzosah]

I've been away, and sharing a room with my sister for 12 days. She came down with a cold on day 2: and I didn't! I'm astonished I haven't currently caught it - especially as she wasn't particularly good at coughing in the opposite direction from me. So it can't really have been airborne, and we were lathering on the antibac hand gel and hand washing constantly, it *seems* to have worked.

[peejay]

Gorilla boxes are sturdy wheeled beasts that would easily fit into those dimensions. Examples at https://www.solentplastics.co.uk/big-bo ... ry-trunks/

[jennyjj01]

Gorilla boxes are sturdy wheeled beasts that would easily fit into those dimensions. Examples at https://www.solentplastics.co.uk/big-bo ... ry-trunks/

Thanks but EEK at those prices. I couldn't live with spending more on the box than the contents.

My box of choice is the black stackable fruit box from Tesco. I blag one every time I go shopping rather than using carrier bags. I've had them filled and stacked to about 2.5 metres before the bottom one caved in and an avalanche ensued.

I've decided. I'm going to get the OH to build me a serious heavy duty floor to roof set of shelves in the garage: Something good for a cubic metre / Tonne of tins. Well, if he can store rusty old tins of paint and misc bits of car, then I'm staking my claim!

And Dammit, I'm telling him why!.... Well I may mis-describe it a bit

[grenfell]

Rather than ready made boxes how about a simple piece of plywood , 18mm should do the job with swivel castors which will move in any direction. Still be able to use your tesco boxes and it will be manoverable . Theses are the sort of castors , https://www.rosscastors.co.uk/castors/t ... wheel.html

[Deeps]

Good luck with your 'show and tell' Jenny, let us know how you go.

[jennyjj01]

Nooooo. Deep down I want to confess this little secret. I think I can do so to some extent, but progressively. I wish I'd never been secretive about prepping.

..He'd think I was nuts stashing food under the bed, though I'm trying to bring him on board with 'Brexit prepping'. Rather embarrassing TBH. I have considered biting the bullet and renting a lock-up but I struggle to justify that to myself.
Somebody should make a prepper parody of the R Whites ' I'm a secret lemonade drinker' advert.... 'I'm a secret uk-prepper'

Good luck with your 'show and tell' Jenny, let us know how you go.

Oh hell. I'm feeling guilty and in a panic.

As I did my housework, I realised that my prepping has grown into a dirty little secret. I've pretty much kept it from DO and he'd be rightly upset if I did a big reveal 'TaDa: Look at the Tonnes of food I've squirrelled away over 3 years!' This secret double life has sneaked up on me and I need to normalise it. I hate lying and we don't keep big secrets like this. Genuine guilt has crept up on me. I should have been more open, sooner.

I've dropped plenty of hints and revealed bits of my 'Brexit Stash, fad food, and pantry overflow' in the garage. I explained that away by pointing out the lack of cupboard space in the kitchen and the coffee and washing powder etc being on offer along with Brexit concerns.
I guess seeing all my piles of boxes 'hidden' in the loft has shaken me up.

I need to think more on this.

Meanwhile, back to the topic of finding stash space, I look around the house and realise what hoarders we both are: Do we need to keep the two old 'almost OK' hoovers in the garage? Do we need those old saucepans that we replaced? Old broken mowers and bits of spare wood in the shed? Will I ever use those 30 tins of hair spray under the bed? And the loft... Like some documentary about compulsive hoarders.

Definitely time for drastic self analysis, and painful de-cluttering and a sensitive revelation .... But I can't let him see the loft just yet

Is it just me?

[D&DD]

I finally dug out my steam juicer I got years ago from Tchibo so we've now got grape juice and strawberry juice canned up ready to go. I'm really pleased with how easy it was to use and the amount of juice we got from the fruit. I usually use an attachment on my kenwood which sieves out pips etc but there's so much less waste doing it this way.
Jenny I have a lot of my stuff under the stairs and we reused various height racks we already had to line the walls and I purchased a stepped one from Argos in their sale which slotted between the tall end and the useless tiny end brilliantly.
Can't help you on the hoarding front I'm just as bad and the minute I ever part with anything it's usually something I end up needing!!